Winter's Thaw: A Misao and Aoshi Story
by AmberAnodyne
Summary: (Overrated for now.) Two years after the day his friends sacrificed themselves to protect him, Aoshi still hasn't forgiven himself. Can Misao melt the ice that seems to surround his heart? Or will his coldness seep into her?
1. Rain

This idea has been bouncing around my brain for awhile, so I thought I'd just write on it and see how it comes out. My favorite anime pairing! (P.S.- This is another romance.... --; )  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Rurouni Kenshin characters..... sob  
  
Chapter 1- Rain  
  
"Come on, Misao! Get up! You can't stay in bed all day you know!"   
  
Misao rolled over on her futon, trying to block out Okon's persistant callings. Finding that that didn't work, she gave in and sat up.   
  
"I'm up! You win! Now leave me alone!"  
  
Okon went silent, her mission to wake the weasel girl up accomplished.   
  
"You'd think it was a crime to sleep in," Misao grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "And it's raining again. Perfect."   
  
Muttering about the weather, she got dressed in her usual outfit and undid her hair to brush it, rebraiding it afterwards.   
  
'I wonder what Aoshi-sama is doing today. Probably meditating in the shrine again. He's so different now, always going to be by himself. I know he used to be reserved, but now he's so.... solitary. He needs to realize it wasn't his fault....'  
  
Her thoughts trailed off as she walked downstairs and greeted the other dwellers at the Aoiya. As usual, Aoshi was no where in site, and Misao figured she was right on her guess about him retreating to the shrine again. Omasu greeted her and brought her breakfast setting it on a table in the kitchen, so as not to disrupt the diners in the main part of the building.   
  
"You've slept in awfully late. Have any good dreams?" Omasu teased her. She giggled when her friend blushed, knowing exactly who she dreamed about.   
  
Misao chose not to answer, and started to eat her breakfast, making a face at Omasu. She could not stop herself from blushing though. Her dreams had been good, although she would never tell anyone what they were about. The color staining her cheeks deepened as she thought about them, and shivers raced down her spine.  
  
"Umm.... I think I'm going on a walk, Omasu. Please tell Okina not to worry."  
  
Her friend looked at her strangely. "In this weather? Misao, you'll catch sick if you go walking in that freezing rain. It's only going to get worse, too. Right now it's only misting, but I wouldn't be surprised if a downpour started any minute now."  
  
"Don't be such a downer, Omasu." Misao chided, bouncing up from where she was sitting, having finished her breakfast. "Besides, it'll do me good, and I'm your Okashira, so you can't stop me."  
  
Omasu stuck her tongue out at her, knowing she couldn't stop the impertinent girl. "Just don't get sick. I'll be the one they blame for not stopping you, and I'll feel terrible too. Here. At least take an umbrella." She handed Misao the umbrella she kept for running errands in nasty weather.   
  
"Okay. If it'll get you off my back," Misao sighed mockingly, pretending she was making a great sacrifice.  
  
"Oh, stop it and get going before someone else comes into the kitchen and stops you." Omasu giggled, gently pushing her towards the door.  
  
"Okay. See you later, Omasu!" She smiled and stepped out the door, opening the umbrella and waving goodbye.   
  
Not many people were out on the streets because of the weather, and the few who were dashed about as if trying to avoid the water. Misao laughed to herself as she watched one wealthy looking man step in a puddle and start to curse, forgetting where he was. When he saw she was within earshot, he gave a small bow and apologized for cursing in the presence of a lady. Misao smiled at him and continued to walk, deciding to leave Kyoto for awhile and seek the peace of the forest.  
  
Reaching the outskirts of the city, she saw a mother huddling in a shack with her two small children, all of them soaking wet. Veering away from her path, Misao walked to them and handed the woman her umbrella.  
  
"Here. You need it more than I do."  
  
The woman smiled gratefully, tears threatening to spill at the generosity of a kind stranger.  
  
"Do you know where the Aoiya is?"  
  
The woman nodded.  
  
"Good. Go there and ask for Omasu. Tell her Misao sent you and you should be able to get a hot meal for yourself and your children. You'll also be able to get out of the rain for awhile." Misao told her with a smile.  
  
The children looked hopefully at their mother who gave them a hug and stood up, giving Misao a hug as well. She lifted the umbrella and they shuffled towards the Aoiya, all squeezing under the protection from the spitting skies Misao's gift gave them.   
  
Misao smiled gently as she watched them make there way to the distant restaurant, happy she could help someone in need. Then she rememebered something.  
  
'Omasu's going to recognize the umbrella and I'm gonna get a lecture. Oh well. They needed it more than I do, and she'll realize that when she sees them.'  
  
With that thought comforting her, she continued to walk to the forest. The cold rain bit into her skin at first, freezing any skin it came into contact with and quickly drenching her hair and clothes.   
  
'At least I wore my boots and not my sandals,' she thought, looking down at the calf-high boots that were now covered in mud.   
  
Reaching the forest, a tranquility seemed to overcome her. The trees seemed to emanate calm, creating a soothing air. Misao continued to amble, wandering through the trees as the drops of collected water from branches fell on her head along with the normal rain, which, as Omasu had predicted, had turned into a downpour.   
  
The sense of peace calmed her mind, letting her think clearly about issues she had trouble thinking about otherwise. Tilting her face up to the sky and feeling the water trace it's way across her features, she thought about what had recently been bothering her.  
  
'Two years..... Two years and Aoshi-sama still hasn't forgiven himself. Why can't he just realize that they did it for him, and there was nothing he could do about it? All he does is meditate and avoid the rest of us, like he can't bring himself to socialize or doesn't deserve to be around us. And now I'm almost 18..... And he still treats me like a child when he does speak on those rare occassions. I'm Okashira! He's supposed to look to me as leader, or at least as a friend! I know I'd give him his position back in a heartbeat if he asked, but that doesn't change the fact....'   
  
She sighed, her own thoughts draining her.   
  
Sitting under a nearby tree, Aoshi watched her, sitting completely still and silent in his cross-legged meditation position. He had come here to relax in the gentle aura of the forest, thinking the stormy weather would keep any unwanted visitors away. Obviously he was wrong.  
  
'What is Misao doing here? She shouldn't be out in weather like this, especially with nothing to protect her. I came here to meditate in peace and she shows up as if it were any other day in the shrine. Although she doesn't seem to be searching for anything, and she hasn't even detected my presence yet....'  
  
Right as this thought crossed his mind, Misao felt someones eyes on her, and swung her head around, searching for the watcher. She was surprised to see Aoshi sitting beneath a tree about 15 feet away.  
  
"Aoshi-sama..... What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the shrine.... I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I'll leave...." She turned to depart.  
  
"You've not disturbed me. You're going to catch sick if you stand there in the rain like that. You should at least wait for this downpour to stop before going back to Aoiya." He said matter of factly, emotionless, although he was surprised by her un-Misaoish behavior.  
  
Feeling the increasingly heavier drops pounding down on her shoulders, she nodded and walked over to the tree where he sat, sitting down next to him so their arms brushed against one another. She sat there silently and watched the sheets of water beating against the ground, not wanting to bother the man next to her.  
  
Aoshi watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was soaked from her walk, her hair completely drenched so that it stuck to her head and face, and the cloth of her ninja outfit was plastered against her body, leaving little to the imagination.   
  
'She's not a little girl anymore... She's definitely grown up from the little shadow I remember following me around...'  
  
He turned his gaze back to the unsettled skies, afraid he might do something he'd later regret if he didn't.   
  
'I don't deserve her devotion. I still need time to seek peace and forgiveness....'  
  
A small voice in the back of his head, one he hadn't heard in a long time, argued with him. 'But she is devoted to you, and you know it! You've seen how unhappy she is when you ignore her. Look at how happy she is to just be near you.'  
  
Aoshi glanced over at Misao, and saw that she was now reddening, the pink getting increasingly deeper to a crimson. He frowned slightly, not knowing what was causing her to flush like that. He resumed giving his attention back to the rain, not wanting to know.  
  
Misao could feel the burning of her cheeks, could almost see the water steaming off her face from the heat. She couldn't stop it. This was almost exactly the way her dream had went. Now all Aoshi had to do was take her in his arms and...... She shook her head. Aoshi would never do that, she knew he wouldn't.   
  
Nevertheless, she watched him out of the corner of her eye, unaware that he had been doing the same thing, but was now looking away again.   
  
He was as soaked as she was. If Misao knew Aoshi's habits, and she had been following him since she was able to walk, than she knew he had been out here since dawn, lost in reflection. The drips from the trees above had steadily wet his clothing until they were molded to his body, the usually loose fabric of his meditating outfit showing the definition of his muscles.  
  
Face burning hotter than ever, she noticed that the downpour was slowing down to a drizzle, as if the clouds had tired themselves out.   
  
Bouncing up from her position sitting against the tree, she smiled cheerfully and said, "It's slowed to a drizzle, I better be going! Didn't mean to bother you! Sorry!"  
  
She took off back to Kyoto at a run as Aoshi watched her.   
  
'Why is she acting that way? Something is wrong....'  
  
He had felt her looking at him, even if she hadn't realized it. And her blushing was perplexing. Aoshi had a feeling it had something to do with him, although he had done nothing to evoke such a response. At least not to his knowledge.  
  
Closing his eyes, he relaxed and straightened his back, trying to continue meditating, but the image of Misao's clinging clothing kept intruding on his inner peace. He sighed, knowing he could not concentrate with that thought on his mind.   
  
Leaning back and resting his head against the tree, he gave in and thought about Misao. How she had always wanted him to entertain her when she was tiny, her demanding to become a ninja when she was old enough to know what a kunai was, and how he had helplessly watched as her undeserved affection for him grew. She had always been there for him, and seeing her smile had become a kind of dependency for him.   
  
Even when he was consumed by the need to be the strongest and defeat Himura, it had still hurt to tell her that he never wanted to see her again. He knew that if he had turned to look at her, seen the crushed look he knew she wore, his resolve would have been shattered.   
  
'I mustn't let her distract me. I still haven't made up for......'  
  
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block the replaying of his friends sacrifice out of his mind.   
  
'I could have stopped them it is my fault. They did not need to die like that. All my fault....'  
  
Another voice, this time a memory of Misao's, chided him. 'It's not your fault! You couldn't have stopped them, because they were going to protect you anyway! Quit blaming yourself Lord Aoshi! It's not your fault! Please, quit blaming yourself! Please....'  
  
He remembered when she had said that. How her eyes had filled with tears, and how he had heartlessly turned away and left her to cry.  
  
'She deserves someone better. I break her heart every time I so much as look at her, but I can't allow myself a pleasure of any kind until I can find peace for my deeds.'  
  
Opening his eyes, he saw that the rain had stopped and the sun was shining brightly, a dramatic change from the morning weather. The heavens seemed to respond to his mood, because as the rain had cleared, so had his thoughts, and now his mind felt as crystalline as the sky.  
  
Standing up, he stretched his cramped muscles and followed the unseen path Misao had taken, back to the Aoiya and the Oniwabanshuu.  
  
Okay...... There's Chapter 1. Please tell me if I have anything mixed up or wrong. I know the characters might seem a bit of OOC. Sorry. . Please read and REVIEW! (They inspire me! ) 


	2. Breaking Away

And now for Chapter 2! Reviewers (and you know who you are ) have told me they've never really been into the Aoshi/Misao pairing, and that I might be the one to convince them! O.o The pressure..... So, huggles and cookies to all reviewers! o  
  
Disclaimer: None of the Rurouni Kenshin characters are mine... TT  
  
Chapter 2- Breaking Away  
  
'The weather's cleared up fast,' Misao thought as she ran through the streets.   
  
The sun was now shining brightly, all traces of the dreary morning weather gone. Puddles pocked the road, the sun glittering on their muddy surfaces, looking deceptively shallow to unwary passerby.   
  
Misao hurried on, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her wet clothing in the city, the city full of watching eyes. She wasn't worried about being beaten or raped, with her ninja training she could defeat any man in this city, except for maybe Okina, and definitely not Aoshi. But she had never worn very tight clothing, short maybe, but never tight. The feeling of the fabric clinging to her skin felt uncomfortable, like a pair of shoes that had never been worn and needed time to form to their owners feet.  
  
With a sigh she remembered the lecture that was sure to greet her when she entered the restaurant. .   
  
Slowing to a steady walk despite her discomfort, Misao watched as Kyoto seemed to come alive after the rain. Children poked their heads out of doorways, anxious to play in the inviting puddles, while mothers chided them on getting sick and muddying their clothes. Merchants eyed the sky as they would a distasteful neighbor, and set their wares out, still cautious if the weather decided to take another turn. All the people that had hidden from the cloudburst now appeared, like the flowers after a spring shower.   
  
The image that thought brought to mind made Misao smile. She could see a wet field, where people were unfurling their leaves, their faces in place of the flowers. And in one big bunch were the Oniwabanshuu. But one flower had strayed from the bouquet. It was Aoshi's flower.  
  
This thought sobered her at the same time it strengthened her resolve.  
  
"Fine! See if I care that you stray from the bouquet!" she exclaimed out loud.  
  
Several people nearby gave her odd looks, and she started to walk faster, blushing at her outburst.  
  
'I'd better get to the Aoiya before I make a complete idiot of myself. That unexpected meeting with Aoshi-sama has thrown me off balance.' She thought, seeing the top of the Aoiya on the other side of the block.   
  
Turning the corner, she ran the rest of the way, entering through the back door she had left through. As she had expected, Omasu was there, but to her surprise she wasn't alone. Okon, the woman in the rain she had helped, and her children, were all there.   
  
They all looked up when she entered. The woman smiled and her children gave shy waves, while Omasu stared at her with a look that showed she understood about her generosity, but still wasn't happy about it. Okon looked her up and down, taking in her soaked hair and clothing, and the flushed glow of her face before nodding at her.  
  
"You'd better go get changed, Misao. Don't want to get sick do you?"  
  
Misao smiled gratefully and bounded up the stairs to her room. Once there she took off her saturated clothes, leaving them in a soggy pile. Omasu had anticipated her not using or abandoning the umbrella and had set a fresh outfit for her on her futon.   
  
"Thank you, Omasu." She murmured, dressing quickly.   
  
Running her fingers through the wet hair not restrained by her braid, she went to the window, opening it to let the rain fresh air fill the room. She set her elbows on the window sill, resting chin in hands as she looked out on the now alive city.   
  
Deciding to lose herself from the world for awhile, Misao sat in the window, her back against the side of the window, one leg tucked under her and the other dangling along the outer edge of the building. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the warmth of the sunlight and listening to the murmur of the city.  
  
Aoshi walked quietly through the city, staying in the shadows and avoiding the numerous people. He tried not to be out while it was busy. There were too many people, their voices interrupting his thoughts and rasping inside his brain. The peace of the shrine, or the forest, where he could think without outside noises interfering, were the places he preferred to be.   
  
Slipping through the darker alleys and backstreets, a silent, unseen shadow, Aoshi made his way to the Aoiya. He stopped, gazing at the second story window. His features remained as neutral as ever, but his thoughts were in a whirl, all the earlier peace he had felt quickly forgotten.   
  
There sat Misao, perched on the edge of the windowsill, looking as if she could fall off at any moment. Her eyes were closed, and an unfelt breeze swept strands of hair across her gentled visage. She looked angelic to him, and he felt annoyed that anyone else saw her during such a moment.   
  
With a cool deliberation he walked the short distance across the street, causing a small group of boys who were staring up at Misao to scatter, his stern glance frightening them off. He opened the door to the restaurant and headed straight for the stairs.   
  
Okon and Omasu, who had left the kitchen to serve the diners, exchanged knowing glances before returning to their work.  
  
Climbing the stairs without the floorboards so much as creaking, Aoshi made his way directly to Misao's room. Opening the door without hesitation, he stepped inside and shut it behind him, flinching inwardly when it creaked.   
  
"Misao," he called quietly, keeping his inner turmoil from showing in his voice.   
  
She didn't respond, but he knew she had heard him. He could tell from her breathing she was still awake, and very aware of his presence, even though her head was turned away from him.   
  
"I know you're listening, Misao. Get out of the window. You're on display for everyone to see."  
  
Unseen to Aoshi, Misao opened her eyes, tears starting to threaten.  
  
'He doesn't even care. He makes it sound as if I'm just an annoyance that has to be taken care of. Well I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of obedience. I'm Okashira, and I don't have to take orders from him anymore. In fact, I don't care about him like that any longer. He's just another member of the Oniwabanshuu. I must treat him as such.....'   
  
Finally giving in to her frustration at Aoshi's complete and utter lack of emotions toward her or anyone else, Misao vowed to not let him have so much control over emotions, and to treat him as she did the others. She closed her eyes stubbornly and choked back the tears, making sure any evidence of their almost-existence was gone from her face.   
  
"Misao."  
  
He was getting irritated at being ignored. Misao never ignored him. She was always happy to see him, always eager to please him anyway she could, even though she knew he'd never thank her out loud. For her to ignore him was unheard of.... And it upset him.   
  
"Misao. Get out of the window." he repeated, hardening his voice.  
  
When she still refused to answer him, he did something he'd never do in another situation. He let impulse dictate his actions.  
  
Crossing the room in several quick, long-legged strides, he stood at the window, facing her with his arms crossed. He remained like that, motionless, watching her silently.   
  
'If I move, I'm going to do something I'll regret later,' he thought, flexing his arm muscles unconsciously to keep reaching out and grabbing her.   
  
'I can feel his eyes on me..... That's what I want.... What I wanted, wasn't it?' Misao fought the urge to shift under the intensity of his gaze. 'I can't let him affect me like this anymore....'  
  
Steeling herself, Misao opened her eyes and stared at the man across from her with all the ice she could muster.  
  
"Who gave you the right to enter my room without permission? Much less to come in here and start ordering me around?"  
  
Her questions nearly made him retreat in shock. This wasn't like Misao at all. She seemed like a completely different person. Instead of her usual warmth and cheeriness, she was staring at him coldly, her smile replaced with a serious expression that did not fit her.  
  
Finding himself completely unable to respond, he backed of the room, keeping his eyes locked with hers. With a soft click the door was shut, cutting off their eyecontact.  
  
His back and shoulders rigid, Aoshi's permanent facade cracked, and he strode quickly to his own room, afraid he might lash out if he met anyone on the way. Meanwhile, Misao was sitting on the floor beneath her window, sobbing with her face in hands as she thought of the way Aoshi had looked at her.  
  
"That can't be good..."  
  
Omasu looked at Okon and nodded. They had watched, with the tops of their heads poking out of the stairwell, the former Okashira back out of Misao's room and rapidly move toward his own.   
  
"And we thought something good was going to happen...."   
  
They both nodded dejectedly.  
  
"What are you two doing?! There are diners that need to be served!"  
  
The women jumped at the voice below them, nearly falling off their precarious perch on the stairs.  
  
"Sorry, Okina!"  
  
The old man watched the two young women scramble off to assume their roles as waitresses, before looking knowingly up to the second floor. He shook his head and went to find someone else to pester, leaving the two people upstairs to figure out their own problems.  
  
I'm so sorry this isn't a very good chapter! The rush of the holidays and all.; I know this is tad weird for an Aoshi/Misao, but I wanted to try something a little different. It will most likely get mushy towards the end, so rest easy romance lovers! And have a Merry Christmas everyone! gives cookies and candycanes to reviewers  
  
(P.S.- I know the characters are OOC..... ) 


	3. Lost Kunai

Cheese and rice! An update! Sorry if there are mistakes in this chapter, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. ; I seem to remember Misao calling Okina 'Jiya'. Ah well...   
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is in no way owned by me.   
  
Chapter 3- Lost Kunai  
  
"Do you think she's okay?"   
  
"I don't know. She's barely here to take her meals and when she is it's almost like having another Aoshi around. Only a lot... sadder."   
  
"You can't exactly say that though. We see Aoshi even less now, if that's even possible. And without Misao around here to cheer people up, this place has become so quiet. It's like working in a funeral home but without the dead bodies."  
  
"Do you mind, Omasu? I'm trying to cook and I don't think the guests will appreciate vomit in their breakfast."  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
Falling silent, the two women continued their work in the kitchen. Each was lost in thought, trying to figure out how things had become sour over the last two weeks.  
  
Okon shook her head, thinking how Aoshi had gotten even more reclusive. He no longer took his meals at the Aoiya, and she doubted he ate at any other restaurant. The rare times he was seen, he looked lost, a hunger in his eyes that had nothing to do with food or fighting. She shivered, thinking of the heat trapped in that glacier blue.   
  
With a small sigh, Omasu paused in her cutting of the vegetables, mulling over the other half of the problem. Misao. Misao just wasn't herself since her confrontation with the former Okashira. She had built a wall around herself, almost as cold as Aoshi's, if not so solid. Omasu could feel a lump form in her throat at the thought of the sadness that seemed to radiate from her friend when she let her guard down...  
  
"That's it!"  
  
Nearly dropping the pitcher she was carrying at the sound of blade meeting wood, Okon turned to look at a furious Omasu, who still had a death grip on the handle of the knife quivering against the cutting board.   
  
"We've got to do something, Okon! We can't let them keep torturing themselves! They want each other, it's as simple as that! WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!"  
  
"I know, Omasu. I know..."  
  
"I can't just stand by and watch them suffer anymore. We need help though... Okina will help. Even if I have to drag him by the beard every step of the way..."  
  
"I don't think..."  
  
"And Hiko Seijiro. He doesn't live too far away, closer than Mr. Himura anyway, and if there's anyone here close enough to talk sense into Lord Aoshi it's him."  
  
"Omasu!"   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What exactly are you planning on doing?"  
  
"I haven't quite figured that out yet, but I'm sure we can figure something out."  
  
With an inward sigh of resignation, Omasu had said 'we' so many times there was no backing out of her scheme, Okon gave a curt nod of her agreement.  
  
"Alright. One of us should go for Hiko now. We need to get our two Okashiras together as soon as possible."  
  
"I'll go get Hiko."  
  
Both women paused a moment before bursting into giggles. Either of them would be more than willing to fetch the handsome swordsman, it was only a matter of who claimed the honor first.   
  
"We've got the beginning of a plan. Let's put it in action!" Okon agreed, nudging Omasu in friendly competition. "It's just too bad you get to see Hiko first and not me."   
  
Morning light spilled through gaps in the leaves, creating a mosaic on the forest floor. The birds sang softly, their calls echoing back at them over the rustle of leaves and small animals going about their morning rituals. Nature was at peace with itself, but others were not.  
  
Misao did not notice the harmony around her, being too busy trying to untangle the chaos of her mind and emotions.  
  
'Two weeks... I haven't spoken to him in two weeks... That's good right? I'm doing what I told myself I would do, what is best for the both of us, so why does it hurt so much? What am I talking about?! It's what has to be done, no matter how much it hurts. C'mon Misao, pull yourself together. You've faced tougher situations then this before.... Not really, but that's beside the point....'  
  
Groaning, she sat down, rubbing her temples.   
  
'I've started talking to myself. I must be going crazy...'  
  
She frowned at the ground, pushing a fallen leaf around with her foot as an image of Aoshi turning away forming in her mind.   
  
'His back is always to me... So I've got to continue having mine to him...'  
  
A small voice in the back of her mind protested, 'not always', but she quickly quelled the thought, pushing to her feet and brushing off the leaves stuck to her legs.  
  
'I better get back to the Aoiya. Omasu will never let me hear the end of it if I don't keep my promise and help her in the kitchen.'  
  
For once in his life, the temple offered no peace to Aoshi. No amount of sitting and trying to clear his thoughts brought him comfort, and he could feel his left leg getting numb from putting too much weight on it all morning.   
  
Shifting his weight and flexing the soreness from his neck and shoulders, he settled back onto the mat, wondering why he was sore at all.  
  
'It must be the tension,' he thought, reaching up to massage the back of his neck. 'Ever since Misao stopped speaking to me I can't seem to relax...'  
  
A faint creaking of floorboards outside the door announced someone's prescence, and by the sound of it, it was a woman.   
  
"I brought your tea, Aoshi-sama."  
  
With a nod of acknowledgment he crushed the small fluttering of hope at seeing Misao with her breakfast tray and nonsense gossip, and watched as Okon entered and set about preparing his morning tea. She and Omasu had started taking turns at bringing him sustenance since the one who usually did it was giving him the cold shoulder.   
  
He gazed at the woman in front of him coolly when she remained sitting on her haunches in front of him.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You should at least try to talk to her, Aoshi-sama. I don't know what happened between you two, but it can't possibly be as bad as it seems."  
  
"Leave me, Okon."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Leave!"  
  
Rising quickly to her feet, Okon hurried out, glancing over her shoulder only once and shaking her head in what Aoshi could only identify as pity.   
  
He tried to calm himself, focusing on his breathing and rubbing his temples, but one fact kept resurfacing and throwing him off balance, brought on by the memory of Misao turning her back on him. The fact that he had kept hidden, even from himself, for so long that it almost hurt to face it now.   
  
Bending his neck to pray, to whoever may be listening, for guidance, he jerked upright when something struck him across the back of the head. No one else was in the room, and there was no way someone could have snuck in without him noticing. Perplexed, he surveyed the bare floor, finding the offender not even a foot to his left.   
  
Picking up the miniature kunai, he rolled it across his fingers, feeling the smoothness of the wood and noting that the blade was still sharp, even after being stuck in a rafter for years.   
  
"I'd forgotten about that..." He said, voice so soft he may as well have not spoken at all.   
  
The memory came back in a flood...  
  
"Aoshi-sama! Look! Hannya finally gave me my first real kunai!"  
  
A seven year old Misao came running up to the temple, rushing in through the open door and stumbling at the last moment, one of the blades in her grip flying upward.   
  
"You shouldn't be running with real weapons until you are proficient in their use, Misao."  
  
"I'm sorry, Aoshi-sama. I just wanted to show you first..."  
  
Tears welled up in her eyes, and that's when Aoshi noticed the blood running down her delicate fingers.   
  
"You've injured yourself."  
  
"It's okay. It doesn't hurt..."  
  
"That's not the point. Come here."   
  
Ripping strips of fabric from his inner garments, he wrapped each of her hands and was about to send her to get them properly taken care of when she smiled brightly and asked when they could begin practice now that she had the real thing to train with.   
  
Staring at the miniscule weapon, he half-smiled. He knew how to fix his problems, he just hadn't let himself think he could.   
  
With a flick of his wrist the kunai vanished, and the Okashira stood to face his worst nightmare and sweetest dream.  
  
Sorry this is so short and riddled with mistakes. I'll fix it later. ; Oh, and would anyone like me to change 'Lord Aoshi' to 'Aoshi-sama'? It sounds better to me, but please tell me your opinion.   
  
Extra: Did some major revision on these first 3 chapters. Oo 


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